Micro-Doppler for venous sinus localization in approaches to the cerebello-pontine angle.

BACKGROUND: Main anatomical landmarks of retrosigmoid craniotomy are transverse sinus (TS), sigmoid sinus (SS), and the confluence of both. Anatomical references and guidance based on preoperative imaging studies are less reliable in the posterior fossa than in the supratentorial region. Simple intraoperative real-time guidance methods are in demand to increase safety. METHODS: This manuscript describes the localization of TS, SS, and TS-SS junction by audio blood flow detection with a micro-Doppler system. CONCLUSION: This is an additional technique to increase safety during craniotomy and dura opening, widening the surgical corridor to secure margins without carrying risks nor increase surgical time.

Deep Brain Stimulation in Posttraumatic Tremor: A Series of Cases and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic tremor (PTT) is the most frequent movement disorder secondary to cranioencephalic trauma and can be persistent and disabling. OBJECTIVES: We review and assess the efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS) at the VIM/VOP/ZI (ventralis intermedius/ventrooralis posterior/zona incerta) complex level for the treatment of PTT. METHODS: During the period from 1999 to 2014, 5 patients diagnosed with PTT were selected who had experienced a major deterioration in their quality of life without improvement during medical treatment for more than 1 year. They underwent surgery for DBS at the VIM/VOP/ZI complex level, and the modified tremor scale before and after surgery was used for their follow-up. RESULTS: Each patient showed improvements in their symptoms after DBS compared with baseline, which was moderate (II) in 2 cases and marked (III) in the other cases. All of the improvements were maintained with chronic DBS, without tremor rebound. CONCLUSIONS: Stimulation of the contralateral VIM/VOP/ZI complex resulted in a noticeable improvement in tremor and recovery of independence in basic daily activities in patients with PTT.

Custom CAD/CAM Peek Implants for Complex Orbitocranial Reconstruction: Our Experience with 15 Patients.

Bone defects within the cranio-orbital complex present unique challenges in terms of surgical planning and reconstruction. This article presents a novel approach using PEEK material and advanced surgical technologies to address these challenges. A retrospective analysis of 15 patients who underwent craniofacial reconstruction using patient-specific polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants between 2016 and 2021 was carried out. Comprehensive preoperative planning was performed, utilizing advanced imaging techniques and specialized software for virtual surgical planning. Patient-specific PEEK PSIs were designed and manufactured based on the preoperative plan. Intraoperative navigation was used to guide the surgical procedure, enabling precise osteotomy and optimal implant placement. This article describes the step-by-step process and the tools utilized in each phase. The etiologies were as follows: meningioma in seven cases, benign lesions in five cases, malignant tumors in two cases, and trauma sequelae in one case. In all cases, 3D-printed PEEK implants were utilized to achieve precise reconstruction. No major complications were described. In one case, an implant replacement was needed with successful outcomes. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of using PEEK patient-specific implants for personalized craniofacial reconstruction. The combination of advanced imaging, virtual planning, and CAD-CAM technology contributes to improved surgical outcomes in terms of oncologic margin control, functional restoration, and aesthetic results.

A new standardized nomenclature in neurosurgery: Criteria and quantitative and qualitative evaluation indicators of medical procedures.

PURPOSE: Update the list of medical acts in the specialty of Neurosurgery, eliminating obsolete acts and adding the new surgical techniques developed in recent years, so that they are faithfully adapted to the usual medical practice of our specialty, as well as establishing the general principles and defining the grading criteria, quantitative indicators and assessment scales. METHODS: The elaboration of the new nomenclator was divided into 3 phases: 1) identification and selection of medical acts, 2) establishment of the degree of difficulty of each of them based on the experience and the time necessary for their completion, as well as the percentage and severity of the possible complications and 3) consensus with the members of the SENEC through their individualized submission, making the necessary adjustments and subsequent approval in the general assembly of SENEC. RESULTS: The new nomenclator has 255 medical acts grouped into 4 groups: consultations and visits, therapeutic acts, diagnostic procedures and surgical interventions. 42 procedures included in the OMC nomenclator have been eliminated due to being obsolete, not related to the specialty or being too vague. New techniques have been included and medical acts have been more precisely defined. CONCLUSIONS: This nomenclator provides up-to-date terminology and will serve to offer the portfolio of services, measure and know the relative value of our activity and the approximate costs of the procedures, and additionally, to carry out longitudinal comparative studies. It should be a tool to improve patient care and minimise geographic variability in all healthcare settings.

Diagnosis and Therapeutic Management of Ventricular Gangliogliomas: An Illustrated Review.

BACKGROUND: Gangliogliomas (GGs) are extremely rare benign neoplasms frequently located within the temporal lobe that usually present with seizures. GGs growing predominantly within the ventricular system (VGGs) are even more infrequent, so definite conclusions concerning their diagnosis and therapeutic management are lacking. METHODS: A retrospective review of case reports of VGGs was performed from the introduction of modern imaging techniques, including 4 new illustrative cases treated in our department. RESULTS: Thirty-four cases were collected. Ages ranged from 10 to 71 years (mean, 26.62 years), and 55.9% were male. Most patients developed symptoms related to high intracranial pressure. The lateral ventricles were predominantly involved (58.8%). Obstructive hydrocephalus was observed in 54.5% of patients. Cystic degeneration and calcification were frequently observed. Surgical treatment was carried out in all cases. Morbidity and mortality were 17.6% and 2.9%, respectively. Gross total tumor resection was achieved in 64.5% of patients. Four patients experienced tumor dissemination along the neural axis. More than 90% of patients maintained a good functional status at last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Despite their low incidence, a diagnosis of VGGs should be considered in young male adults who progressively develop intracranial hypertension, caused by a ventricular mass showing signs of cystic degeneration and calcification. Maximal and safe surgical resection represents the gold standard for the treatment of symptomatic VGGs, although total removal is frequently precluded by difficulties in defining appropriate tumor boundaries. Adjuvant radiotherapy should be considered if an incomplete resection was carried out, especially in World Health Organization grade III neoplasms.

Multidisciplinary protocol of preoperative and surgical management of patients with pituitary tumors candidates to pituitary surgery.

The optimal planning of preoperative diagnosis, management and treatment of pituitary tumors (PT) candidates to pituitary surgery (PS) requires a multidisciplinary approach involving a team of endocrinologists, neurosurgeons, ENT, neuro-ophthalmologists and neuroradiologists with experience in pituitary diseases. Such teams improve surgical results, minimize complications and facilitate their correct treatment if occurring, and optimize the hormonal, ophthalmological and radiological preoperative and follow-up evaluation. We have developed a clinical practice protocol for patients with PT who are candidates to PS based on the most recent national and international guidelines and the relevant literature regarding PT published in the last years. The protocol has been elaborated by a multidisciplinary team of a Spanish Pituitary Tumor Center of Excellence (PTCE) that includes at least one neurosurgeon, ENT, neuroradiologist, neuro-ophthalmologist, endocrine pathologist and endocrinologist specialized in pituitary diseases. We elaborated this guideline with the aim of sharing our experience with other centers involved in the perioperative and surgical management of PT thereby facilitating the management of patients undergoing PS.

Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Working and Training Conditions of Neurosurgery Residents in Latin America and Spain.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exerted a significant impact on health care workers. Recent studies have reported the detrimental effects of the pandemic on neurosurgery residents in North America, Asia, and Italy. However, the impact of the pandemic on neurosurgical training in Latin America and Spain has not yet been reported. In the present report, we describe effects of COVID-19 on training and working conditions of neurosurgery residents in these countries. METHODS: An electronic survey with 33 questions was sent to neurosurgery residents between September 7, 2020 and October 7, 2020. Statistical analysis was made in SPSS version 25. RESULTS: A total of 293 neurosurgery residents responded. The median age was 29.47 ± 2.6 years, and 79% (n = 231) were male. Of respondents, 36.5% (n = 107) were residents training from Mexico; 42% surveyed reported COVID symptoms and 2 (0.7%) received intensive care unit care; 61.4% of residents had been tested for COVID and 21.5% had a positive result; 84% of the respondents mentioned persisted with the same workload (≥70 hours per week) during the pandemic. Most residents from Mexico were assigned to management of patients with COVID compared with the rest of the countries (88% vs. 68.3%; P < 0.001), mainly in medical care (65.4% vs. 40.9%; P < 0.001), mechanical ventilators (16.8% vs. 5.9%; P = 0.003), and neurologic surgeries (94% vs. 83%; P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Our results offer a first glimpse of the changes imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on neurosurgical work and training in Latin America and Spain, where health systems rely strongly on a resident workforce.

Central nervous system granulocytic sarcoma: Report of 2 cases and review of the literature. / Sarcoma granulocítico del sistema nervioso central: reporte de 2 casos y revisión de la literatura.

Granulocytic sarcomas are solid, extramedullary-located neoplasms composed of immature myeloid cells, associated with myeloproliferative syndromes. Central nervous system involvement is very rare and may develop either after complete remission, coexist with or precede the systemic disease, being the last one that guides the radiological diagnosis and marks the prognosis. In this work, we report 2 pathologically-verified cases of intracranial granulocytic sarcoma treated by surgical means. Their clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic features are discussed in the light of the most relevant scientific literature published to date.

Status and clinical and radiological predictive factors of presurgical anterior pituitary function in pituitary adenomas. Study of 232 patients.

PURPOSE: To investigate the status of preoperative anterior pituitary function in patients undergoing pituitary adenoma (PA) resection and to identify factors associated with preoperative anterior pituitary dysfunction (APD). METHODS: Patients with functioning and nonfunctioning PAs who underwent pituitary adenoma resection for first time, from January 2009 to December 2019 were analyzed. RESULTS: Total sample included 232 patients; 123 (53.2%) females, mean age at diagnosis was 53.3 years. Sixty-three percent presented as nonfunctioning PAs and 37.1% as functioning PAs. Eighty-eight percent were macroadenomas and 34.9% had cavernous sinus invasion. APD was demonstrated in 36.2% (n = 84) of the patients. The FSH/LH deficit was the most frequent anterior pituitary deficit (31.9%); followed by ACTH (18.1%); TSH (16.4%) and GH (13.8%). We identified as independent risk factors of APD, male sex (OR = 6.1, 95% CI = 3.3-11.0); age (OR = 1.03 for each year, 95% CI = 1.01-1.04), diabetes mellitus (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.63-7.69), pituitary apoplexy presentation (OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 1.3-14.5) and tumor size (OR = 1.06 for each mm, 95% CI = 1.04-1.09). Nonfunctioning PAs (NFPA) had higher risk of APD than functioning PAs (FPA) (OR = 2.8 (95% CI = 1.5-5.0), but these differences disappeared after adjusted by tumor size (OR adjusted by tumor size = 1.7, 95% CI = 0.9-3.3). The tumor size with the highest diagnostic accuracy to predict hypopituitarism was 22 mm (sensitivity of 61.9% and specificity of 70.1%). CONCLUSION: More than one third of PAs candidates for surgery had APD. The male sex, diabetes, an older age, pituitary apoplexy, and larger PAs were risk factors of APD. Hence, in these patients, the hormonal study should be prioritized and the need for dynamic tests must be carefully assessed.

Glioblastoma treatment guidelines: Consensus by the Spanish Society of Neurosurgery Tumor Section. / Consenso sobre guías de tratamiento de los glioblastomas elaborado por el Grupo de Trabajo de Neurooncología (GTNO) de la SENEC.

INTRODUCTION: Glioblastoma (GBM) treatment starts in most patients with surgery, either resection surgery or biopsy, to reach a histology diagnose. Multidisciplinar team, including specialists in brain tumors diagnose and treatment, must make an individualize assessment to get the maximum benefit of the available treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Experts in each GBM treatment field have briefly described it based in their experience and the reviewed of the literature. RESULTS: Each area has been summarized and the consensus of the brain tumor group has been included at the end. CONCLUSIONS: GBM are aggressive tumors with a dismal prognosis, however accurate treatments can improve overall survival and quality of life. Neurosurgeons must know treatment options, indications and risks to participate actively in the decision making and to offer the best surgical treatment in every case.

Variability of Clinical and Angiographic Results Based on the Treatment Preference (Endovascular or Surgical) of Centers Participating in the Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Database of the Working Group of the Spanish Society of Neurosurgery.

OBJECTIVES: Since the introduction of endovascular treatment for cerebral aneurysms, hospitals in which subarachnoid hemorrhage is treated show different availability and/or preferences towards both treatment modalities. The main aim is to evaluate the clinical and angiographic results according to the hospital's treatment preferences applied. METHODS: This study was conducted based on use of the subarachnoid hemorrhage database of the Vascular Pathology Group of the Spanish Neurosurgery Society. Centers were classified into 3 subtypes according to an index in the relationship between endovascular and surgical treatment as: endovascular preference, high endovascular preference, and elevated surgical preference. The clinical results and angiographic results were evaluated among the 3 treatment strategies. RESULTS: From November 2004 to December 2017, 4282 subarachnoid hemorrhage patients were selected for the study: 630 (14.7%) patients from centers with surgical preference, 2766 (64.6%) from centers with endovascular preference, and 886 (20.7%) from centers with high endovascular preference. The surgical preference group obtained the best angiographic results associated with a greater complete exclusion (odds ratio: 1.359; 95% confidence interval: 1.025-1.801; P = 0.033). The surgical preference subgroup obtained the best outcome at discharge (65.45%), followed by the high endovascular preference group (61.5%) and the endovascular preference group (57.8%) (odds ratio: 1.359; 95% confidence interval: 1.025-1.801; P = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: In Spain, there is significant variability in aneurysm exclusion treatment in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Surgical centers offer better results for both surgical and endovascular patients. A multidisciplinary approach and the maintenance of an elevated quality of surgical competence could be responsible for these results.

[Antithrombotic treatment consensus protocol (anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy) during the perioperative and periprocedural period in neurosurgery]. / Protocolo de consenso en el tratamiento antitrombótico (anticoagulación y antiagregación) durante el periodo perioperatorio y periprocedimiento en neurocirugía.

The use of antithrombotic medication (antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy) is widespread. Currently, the management of neurosurgical patients receiving this type of therapy continues to be a problem of special importance. Patients receiving antithrombotic treatment may need neurosurgical care because of bleeding secondary to such treatment, non-haemorrhagic neurosurgical lesions requiring urgent attention, or simply elective neurosurgical procedures. In addition, the consequences of reintroducing early (bleeding or rebleeding) or late (thrombotic or thromboembolic) anticoagulation can be devastating. In this paper we present the antithrombotic treatment consensus protocol during the perioperative and periprocedural period, both in emergent surgery and in elective neurosurgical procedures.

Juvenile psammomatoid ossifying fibroma of the posterior fossa: a case report and review.

BACKGROUND: Ossifying fibroma is a rare benign bone tumor that occurs mostly in the jaw, but also affects paranasal sinuses and fronto-ethmoidal complex. Occipital bone is an extremely rare location for these tumors; only two cases have been reported. METHODS: We present the first case reported as psammomatoid subtype of ossifying fibroma, according to the 2005 WHO classification. An 18 years old male patient with infratentorial tumor, in the occipital bone, that produces mass effect over the cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS: This case may provide a guide to consider these lesions for a more rapid and precise diagnostic in future cases.

[Migration of the distal catheter of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt into the heart]. / Migracion cardiaca del cateter peritoneal de una derivacion de liquido cefalorraquideo.

TITLE: Migracion cardiaca del cateter peritoneal de una derivacion de liquido cefalorraquideo.